326 16 Paleoindian Sites, Site Patterning, and Travel Corridors Along the Southern Arm of the Champlain Sea Francis W. Robinson, IV, John G. Crock, and Wetherbee Dorshow Tis chapter serves as an update and expansion of our previous summaries of Paleoindian sites and site patterning along the southern arm of the Champlain Sea, a late Pleistocene and early Holocene marine body connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence River valley (Crock and Robinson 2012; F. Robinson 2009, 2012; Rob- inson and Crock 2008). In an earlier publication (Crock and Robinson 2012), we expressed our hope that it would not require another 30 years to add substantial new information to Paleoin- dian studies in this region. Fortunately, the pace of research has increased dramatically, and this new paleoenvironmental, geologic, and site in- formation helps refne settlement patterns and further demonstrates the potential importance of the Champlain Sea for Paleoindians’ travel, settlement, and subsistence. Tis chapter begins with a summary of new information on the Champlain Sea event and its precursors and how these data are potentially im- portant to understanding the Paleoindian occu- pations of the Champlain Basin. Following this, newly identifed and/or documented Paleoin- dian sites along both the eastern (Vermont) and western (New York) sides of the basin are sum- marized. Tereafer, the locations of these sites relative to a newly revised map of the Champlain Sea are examined, and the implications of this site patterning are explored. Finally, we assess some of the implications of this site patterning for subsistence, settlement, and intrabasin and extrabasin travel and how the Champlain Sea may have facilitated it. Before the Sea Based on a reassessment of deglaciation using combined 14C, paleomagnetic, and varve chrono- logical data, Ridge (2003) and Ridge et al. (1999) suggest that glacial ice completely receded from Vermont by sometime before 13,400 cal BP (see Newby and Bradley 2007; Richard and Occhietti 2005). Ridge et al. (1999) specifcally assign a date range of 13,700–13,400 cal BP to regional ice re- treat beyond the international boundary line on the basis of varves at Enosberg Falls in the Missis- quoi River valley (see Dyke et al. 2003). As the ice receded north and out of the Champlain Valley, Glacial Lake Vermont began to form in the va- cated basin. To the northwest of the Champlain Valley, Lake Iroquois also formed in the Lake On- tario basin and western St. Lawrence Lowlands. To the east, Glacial Lake Hitchcock formed in the Connecticut River valley. Various stages of Lake Vermont have been identifed (and then revised) since its frst recog- nition (Chapman 1937; Connally and Sirkin 1973; Stewart and MacClintock 1969). Te Coveville stage of Lake Vermont is now identifed as that of maximum water elevation within the greater Gingerich-2 text 2.indd 326 2017-07-27 8:25 AM